Was that love?
by theconsultingdetective221B
Summary: Basically I'm new to fanfiction so this is my first entry! :D In this Sherlock basically discovers a new emotion... love. This throws everything he has considered normal in his life into perspective. More to follow :)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Another trip to St Bart's was in order it seemed. Another murder that needed to be solved - this one was rated only a six, but John had encouraged him to take the case as work was scarce and clearly Sherlock was becoming irritable.

" You cannot seriously expect me to give up smoking if you insist on using such obvious hiding places. I mean the skull? Really John have I taught you that little?"

John muttered something about punching Sherlock as the taxi drew to a halt outside 221B. Anxious of giving in to every instinct telling him to break Sherlock's nose, he spoke.

"So, thought any more about this case then? Could be interesting."

"Hardly- I'm only here because you practically dragged me out of Baker Street" Sherlock huffed.

" Because you were driving me round the twist you stupid git! Sherlock bloody Holmes - the world's only consulting detective and the only man who ceases to behave like a human being unless there is a corpse involved!"

"Well at least a corpse provides for better intellectual conversation."

"You really are an arse sometimes Sherlock and it really surprises me that no one in the force has tried to off you!" John spat, still fuming at Sherlock and his uncalled for insults.

"Oh please that's sooo two years ago."

Chapter 2

The cab reached St Barts and the pair headed straight to the morgue where Molly was waiting for them.

"Hi Sherlock. How have you been?"

"Where's the corpse?"

"Oh... it's right over there."

Sherlock's face lit up as he tore off the sheet and began to examine the body. Meanwhile John stood in the doorway with Molly because it was clear that, once again, Sherlock's insensitive behaviour had upset her.

"I'm sorry Molly he's been like this all week."

"It's ok really... I'm fine."

They stood in silence while Sherlock continued thoroughly examining the corpse. Poor Molly, thought John. Being head over heels in love with a high functioning sociopath can't be easy. True, she had never admitted this but the looks she gave him made it pretty clear - the long, lingering stares and the way her eyes lit up when he spoke to her, even if it was only for a second.

"Molly?"

"What is it John?"

"I need..."

But he was unable to finish his sentence due to a rude interruption from Sherlock - on cue as always.

"John! I require your doctoral opinion."

"What do you need?"

"How do you suppose he died?"

"Umm... blunt trauma to the skull? From maybe a candlestick?"

"Close enough. Come on John we have work to do!"

And with that Sherlock dashed out of the room, leaving a lonely looking Molly and an unimpressed John. He made his way briskly out of the room, only stopping briefly to say bye to Molly. Molly's eyes followed him out of the room and, only once she was certain they had left did she curl up into a corner and weep.

Chapter 3

Outside, Sherlock had already managed to hail a cab and was sitting in the backseat looking utterly bored once more. John joined him and they set off. Sherlock's manner had changed - what an interesting case, he thought to himself. Definitely a seven if not an eight, especially if his suspicions were correct.

"Are you ok Sherlock?"

"What? Yes fine, I was in my mind palace."

"Well can you come back to the real world for a minute? We need to talk about Molly."

"Molly? What could you possibly have to say about Molly Hooper that is more important than a case?"

It was clear that Sherlock was becoming irritable once more. John had forced him to take this case to relieve his boredom (because apparently shooting the wall and smoking was unacceptable) and now he wanted to discuss Molly? They had both seen her at St Barts and she was clearly fine and didn't have a dangerous boyfriend at the moment and -

"She likes you."

He froze.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me... somehow despite your ability to constantly offend her she is head over heels in love with you."

"But...I...she can't be! There are no signs!"

"For once Sherlock, it is you who are only seeing. Maybe you need to look a little closer."

Sherlock's mind was reeling. Ever since he was a young boy, he made a point of deleting all unnecessary details from his mind, it allowed him to concentrate on what was important to him such as cases. Christ, he didn't even know that the Earth went round the Sun until John pointed it out to him. Love was one of the first emotions to go from his mind palace. Sherlock had never been in love - or had he? What about all those times he had been with Molly? When she had wrapped his present at Christmas in the nicest paper, and when she had allowed him into the morgue whenever he required it... was that love?

"Stop the cab!"


	2. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Molly dabbed gently at her eyes, carefully trying to wipe away the tears without smudging her mascara - the mascara that she had put on especially, because she so foolishly believed that Sherlock would notice her.

Why couldn't he see how much she thought of him? Realistically she knew she was not ready for another relationship just yet but Sherlock was... different. Every moment with him kept her guessing. God when she was with him she felt more alive than ever before. I mean sure, he took her for granted but at least he was sympathetic... well at least he was MORE sympathetic than anyone else had ever been towards her.

Molly suddenly felt overcome by her thoughts. All the good times she and Sherlock had spent together - at St Barts, at Baker Street, no matter where, he seemed to always be there to comfort her. Not in an emotional way as such but when she just needed to hold someone, he never once objected.

"Maybe it's just not meant to be" she sighed sadly, talking to the only presence in the room that didn't take her for granted - her reflection.

"Weeeell isn't this a sight for sore eyes?"

Molly gasped and spun round. She had been sure that nobody was in the room with her. She had chosen these toilets because they were only used by a select few and, of course, she had checked every cubicle to make sure that no one would hear her crying - she had a reputation to uphold. But to her surprise there was no figure looming behind her, nor a shadow to be seen, yet the voice continued.

"Molly and Sherlock sitting in a tree

Not K-I-S-S-I-N-G

Sherlock's gone away now

And Molly's in the loo

Crying over all the things ole Sherly didn't do! "

The laughter echoed throughout the room, the sound chilling Molly to the very core. There was no mistaking that mischievous voice anywhere.

Poor Molly dared not move, her body in such a state of shock that she did not see the figure emerge ...

"Did you miss me Molly Hooper?"

Then her world went black.


	3. Chapter 5

The door swung open with so much force that it nearly came off its hinges, but Sherlock no longer cared - all he could think about was Molly. Thoughts of her filled every crevice of his mind palace, every room, and he felt so happy... until he entered the morgue. The cloud nine feeling had been instantly replaced with a cold, chilling sense of dread.

"Molly?"

Silence.

With a dark sense of foreboding Sherlock approached the cloaked cadaver he had examined earlier and his thoughts drifted to Molly once more. The signs were obvious really -the tissue box was now severely depleted and traces of mascara covered the entire box - she had clearly been crying once they had left earlier. A silent tear rolled down Sherlock's cheek at the thought of Molly alone and upset all because of him.

"Sherlock? Have you found Molly yet?"

But he ignored John, focussing solely on the finer details in the lab that might indicate Molly's whereabouts.

_Ah! ah! ah! ah! Stayin' alive! Stayin' alive!_

"Where's that sound coming from?" Sherlock whispered, standing absolutely still. He remained frozen for a few seconds and only as John approach did he suddenly reanimate.

"TELL ME!"

"Jesus Sherlock! Over there I think" said John as he motioned towards the body shakily - Sherlock hardly ever shouted at him the way he just did. Sherlock ran over to the body and ripped off the sheet. There it was. Tightly grasped in the victim's hands, still ringing loudly. Tearing the phone out of the man's hands (breaking a few fingers in the process) he answered...

"What have you done with her you bastard?"

"Oh so you dooo remember me Sherly! Good, that means we can skip the pleasantries... let's play a game shall we?" crooned the voice on the other end of the phone.

" If you've hurt her Jim you'll regret it" Sherlock growled.

"Jim?" a voice whispered beside Sherlock- a voice he hardly recognised as usually John was the last person to speak with fear in his voice.

"Surely you don't mean...Moriarty?"

"I'm afraid I do" he said grimly.

John's eyes widened and his face drained of colour. He knew all too well what Jim was capable of- a lump threatened to rise in his throat as he recalled the pain of losing Sherlock. All those months blurred together now but back then, when Sherlock was dead, life had not seemed worth living. In the end, John had been the only person defending Sherlock's good name. Sherlock was his best friend ... and more...

"So Sherlock" came a voice from the phone, " are you ready to play?"

"Where's Molly?"

"Oh she's right here... for now" - an ominous giggle came from the phone followed by the click of the line disconnecting..

"Crap! They could be anywhere in London by now!"

BEEP!

A text message - from none other than Jim Moriarty himself. The message chilled Sherlock to the very core...

"John? I know where they are but understand this - I do not know how this will end. We could be playing directly into his hands which I am almost certain that we are. Just this once I need you to trust me completely and do exactly as I say no matter what. Can I rely on you?"

"Always Sherlock"


End file.
